Blood & Sand
by CaptainKodak
Summary: When a man approaches military brat Emerson Langley with the job opportunity of a lifetime, Emerson throws herself knee-deep in the opportunity for adventure, armed with a Masters in Paleontology and a thrill-seeking personality. Working alongside Owen Grady and Barry Fortier, can Emerson survive when disaster strikes? (Starts Six Months Prior to events of Jurassic World OwenXOC)
1. Chapter 1 - Adaptability

**_*Edited - 7/18/15_**

 ** _Disclaimer: I own nothing of the masterpiece that is Jurassic World. However, Emerson and her non-previously seen coworkers and family are of my own creation._**

 ** _Author's Note: This is chapter one, which is little more than a teaser chapter. As such, it is a mere 1,368 words. I can assure you that each following chapter will be exponentially longer and far better written. Thank you!_**

* * *

 _"The starting point of all achievement is desire." - Napoleon Hill_

* * *

 _ **Chapter One - Adaptability**_

Stepping foot off of the monorail and down onto the paved path upon the ground of Isla Nublar, a brunette figure tightened her grip on her already firmly-held duffel.

 _This is it._

Merely five short weeks ago, she'd still been a grad student, working through her final examination period that would end with her receiving a masters degree, when shortly thereafter, a middle-aged gentleman had appeared on Yale's campus to offer her the job of a lifetime.

Jurassic World...and working as a trainer and advisor, no less, for one of the park's more low-profile enclosures.

 _V. mongoliensis, or more commonly known as, the Velociraptor._

Fighting the urge to spaz with excitement, the brunette took a step forward, scanning the docks for any sign of the man she'd met prior.

After craning her head to the right, she sighted a blonde man with a spiked military haircut who was wearing board shorts and a black short sleeve shirt, whom held a tablet that spelt out her name in clear black letters.

Making her way through the throngs of people, the twenty-two year old female approached the man.

"Emerson Langley?" He asked, noting the woman's approach and thinking back to the photos that his boss had shown him before sending him off.

"That's me. You can call me Mer", the girl grinned, shifting her black duffel to her shoulder in order to shake the man's outreached hand.

"Great", he smiled back, "I'm Max Cooper, with the island's ACU."

"ACU?" Mer questioned, rolling the acronyms off her tongue with a clear sense of unfamiliarity.

"Asset Containment Unit. We're the higher level security force that monitors the assets and makes sure that they don't get past their perimeters."

Nodding her head and following the man who-knows-where as her next question surfaced, Em was pleased when he answered her unspoken thoughts.

"Since I'm taking leave today but don't have any plans til' later, Mr. Masrani requested I come and escort you to your new lodgings this morning", Max informed her, as they approached a silver official-looking jeep with the Jurassic World insignia printed on the side.

"Good", she chuckled as she climbed into the jeep's passenger seat, throwing her bag in the back, "I wasn't sure whether I should feel honored or wary of my security escort."

"Well now you now", Max stated with a lopsided grin as he placed a hand on the steering wheel, immediately drawing attention to his gold wedding band.

As the security man pulled off onto the back roads of the park, running between enclosures, he instructed his passenger to open a heavy manila envelope that rested upon the dashboard of the car.

"Inside, you'll find your personnel identification card, lodgings key, and licensing for the weapons and vehicle that you brought on island. Your vehicle and items will be delivered to the facility that you'll be living in for the foreseeable future, closer to this afternoon", he stated, maneuvering through a large concrete gate with the number '9' printed in red paint.

"So where are we headed now?" Emerson questioned as she craned her head forward to get a full view of the gorgeous green landscape in front of her.

"Facility 9", Max answered immediately, pausing before seemingly making the connection that his explanation wasn't quite adequate. "It's the personnel barracks for the staff that works here in Sector 9, the most uninhabited sector of the island. The only thing it holds is the raptor paddock and last count was only about forty people out here, give or take, so it shouldn't be too crowded."

Driving over the smoothened dirt roads with the arching foliage above them, Em relaxed into the comfortable seats of the jeep.

"So which sector do you live in?" She asked curiously.

Glancing at the young girl in his vehicle, Max Cooper chuckled slightly at her question.

"I don't actually live here on the island full-time, so since I don't have a home here, I along with most of the other ACU team live in the compound right outside central control in the bunkroom", he started before continuing at the girls confused expression. "Since I've got a family living back stateside, I only work six months out of the year, taking every other two weeks off to go see them. Most of the ACU members have the same arrangement and as such we have alternate squads for different halves of the months."

Wrapping her head around all of her newly gathered knowledge, Em looked around.

"That sounds like quite a bit of travel."

Slowly, but surely, her driver started to veer right, away from the clearly marked roads, driving deeper in the trees until finally they arrived at a gravel parking lot sort of area with a large concrete, but aesthetically pleasing, building built up on the side of the road, nestled into the forest.

"Now then", Cooper started as he helped the dark haired dame into the building and up to the room specified on her itinerary, "I was told to inform you that the park operations manager, Ms. Dearing, will be here for you at 0900 hours tomorrow, so make yourself at home. All extra things will be covered by her as well as the information packets in the folder I gave you. I need to head out, but I wish you the best of luck!"

Smiling and waving as the man's figure retreated, Emerson let herself into the room, pleased to find spacious living quarters.

Exploring a bit, she found it to be a one bedroom apartment with an additional living room, and kitchen.

All appliances looked to be sleek and top of the line, but the furnishings themselves, were still basic enough that the only things provided were the necessities. The only extracurricular items that she found throughout the apartment were a nice television hanging on the wall, and the bathroom had an overly extravagant glass sit-down shower that would definitely be getting used.

Grinning, Emerson unzipped the duffel that held her regular non-clothing household appliances and set to work setting them around her new home.

* * *

As she waved back to the generous men who'd helped deliver the rest of her belongings, Em walked back through the door, dropping her directions for the garage next to the basket of apples that she had placed upon her counter..

After placing her new garage key onto her plain key-ring and setting them into the black leather holder that was perched upon her belt, the woman moved forward to the living room, where empty bookshelves now stood, which she used to unload her small movie collection onto as well as other mementos such as pictures of her family and friends from college.

All the research papers and such were still situated in boxes for being kept on location to wherever the office she'd been promised was at.

Grinning as she pulled out a specific picture of herself, her two brothers, and finally her sister, Emerson smiled. It was the only picture where her parents had wrangled them all into the same spot.

With her two brothers being in the Marine Corps, and her sister still in high school, everyone had hectic schedules that found them almost never in the same place at the same time.

With the time only being in the early evening, Mer continued to unpack, hanging up clothing in her large closet and lining shoes up on a rack next to the door.

It was only just starting to get dark when she finished unpacking.

Unclipping her keys and placing both them as well as her wallet on the right nightstand, she slid her clothing off and immediately moved to shower and clean up for the night before returning and sitting on the couch that she'd rearranged to face the large window that had replaced what would have been a wall, and stared out at the brilliant view of the sun setting over the resort.

* * *

 ** _Please leave a comment or a favorite/follow if you enjoyed the piece, I love to hear what my readers are thinking!_**


	2. Chapter 2 - Tactfulness

**_Disclaimer: I own nothing of the masterpiece that is Jurassic World. However, Emerson and her non-previously seen coworkers and family are of my own creation._**

* * *

 _"Before anything else, preparation is the key to success." - Alexander Graham Bell_

* * *

 _ **Chapter Two - Tactfulness**_

Grey eyes flickering open in the morning light, Emerson gave herself a moment as her eyes adjusted to the morning light.

As she craned her head to see the time on the clock that was positioned on the dresser across the room, the brown haired girl could barely make out '03:56' on the clock, flashing in red numbers.

 _'Shit",_ she thought callously, cursing the world for power outages, but relieved when she checked her watch for it to be only six twenty-seven..

With a slight groan, Emerson sat up and slid out of the silky large bed, relishing in the feeling of the soft sheets brushing over her legs as she set her feet down steadily on the cold hardwood floors.

' _It may be a tropical rainforest outside, but whoever is running the temperature in this compound is a fan of Iceland'_ , she thought sharply, sliding a pair of sweatpants on over her underwear along with a sweatshirt over her plain black tank.

As she slipped out of her room and into her kitchen, Mer took a seat at the bar, finally pulling over the manila information packet. While her identification card and vehicle, residential, and gate keys had already been placed on a simple silver circle, which fit inside her leather key pouch, fitting in a pocket of on her belt, or simply a Jurassic World retractable clip in the I.D's case, the paperwork still was left untouched in it's manila papery armor.

Pulling the files out, Emerson grasped a pen from the writing utensil holder at the end of the bar and started flipping through legal documents, signing her compliance that should she be killed, the Corporate Park would have no liability or affiliation.

Some of the scenarios were pretty creative.

 _Death by Spontaneous Combustion..._

 _Death by Being Run Over By Monorail_

 _Death by Stampede_

 _...and so on._

After reading through those and signing away her life, Emerson placed the seventy-two page document to the side and finished up reading the paperwork provided on other matters, including memorizing the park tourist map, as well as the official map including the restricted sector division and checkpoints.

Finally, the woman took a deep breath and pulled forward the informational packet that she'd left on the glass table beside the door the previous night, all the while jittering with excitement at the thought of unpacking the three full boxes that she'd left next to her door.

Unfolding the letter, Emerson began to read.

 _Ms. Emerson Langley,_

 _First and foremost, we bid you welcome to Isla Nublar, and hope you enjoy your career here immensely. Here at Jurassic World, our maintenance staff works hard to ensure the best care of our employees and their belongings, the ones such at mentioning, your vehicles._

 _If you are reading this letter, then that means that your vehicle has been inspected and approved by the motor transport office located in Sector 1. Due to your success in this final step of your Park Vehicle Clearance (PVC), you have received a key to your garage unit._

 _All units are outfitted with maintenance tables and workshops and we here at Jurassic Vehicle Department are more than willing to provide any useful items you or your neighbors may need._

 _If you do find yourself in-_

Emerson stopped reading and walked over next to her door, studying the fire escape map hung on the wall for her directions to the garage.

When she finally found her destination, Emerson quickly began the operation of moving all of her items into the elevator across the hall and hitting the lowest button labeled 'G'.

As the doors slid open, Em slid her boxes out of the elevator and surveyed the area.

 _Bland_ , was her first thought.

Cobwebs were is all corners of the large facility garage, and other than the odd sports car, the only vehicles were the Jurassic World branded SUV's and Jeeps.

The only truly commendable trait that Em could grant the concrete transportation fortress, was that other than the general parking where the company vehicles sat, organized by white numbers painted in thick lettering upon the ground that matched the identification cards hanging from rearview mirrors, the majority of the garage's perimeter were alcoves that went into the walls with gates covering them and apartment numbers for identification.

After surveying the area, Emerson's lovely grey eyes set sight on her vehicle.

 _Royal Enfield Classic Battle Green_

A 1950's designed motorcycle, her bike was a modern masterpiece that had been her gift from her oldest brother, Collin, and her little sister, Sawyer.

That year, her younger brother Nate had gotten her a pretty awesome slightly-large red Marine Corps sweatshirt that he then proceeded to steal and take with him on deployment to Afghanistan.

The motorcycle was a soothing shade of military green and had both a shiny, well cared for, interior, and exterior. Plus the bike itself was in magnificent shape, seeing as how when her brother had passed the motorcycle on, (adding their sister's name only because she was broke that year), in favor of buying a new classic, he insisted that she know how to take care of her new belonging.

Which was what left Emerson now where she was, with three extremely large and heavy boxes of maintenance equipment including wrenches, bolts, stands, different wheels, and so on.

As she moved the boxes one at a time to the area where her bike was, Emerson found the corner to be home to the Apartment 14 storage space.

While she'd seen how the mass majority of people used their space to store extra boxes and such, she had different plans.

Bending over and setting her current box down on the ground, the woman quickly moved the rest of her boxes over outside her own chain link fence and grabbed her keys from the belt loop of her denim shorts and pressed her key into the shiny new-looking lock, unfastening it from its place around the chain gate.

Pulling the gate open, Emerson began cleaning out the cobwebs and setting up her gear.

* * *

A single hour later, Mer sat back against the wall admiring her handy-work.

The newly-dubbed ' _workshop'_ , itself, was about the size of a _little larger than_ average bedroom, therefore, Emerson Langley had taken it upon herself to adopt an unused but high quality workbench that had been in the corner of the garage as well as the pegboard that had been next to it, still unhung.

The workbench had been placed against the shortest wall with the pegboard hung above it, now holding all of her tools, save for the single torque wrench that she now realized had been left at home.

 _All the way back in North America._

Emerson was still kicking herself over that mistake.

As for the rest of the workshop, a desk had been set up in one of the corners with a docking station for her iPhone to play music, as well as a the ceiling corner now playing home to one of the ten security cameras that her father had gifted her with before she parted for Isla Nublar.

The rest were still waiting on the kitchen counter of Apartment 14, waiting to be installed for the sole purpose of pleasing her father and his multi-million dollar security mindset.

Other than the main additions to her new workshop, all that remained was a dresser sized toolbox and her rolling stool, that stood pushed in against the desk with her docking station.

As the new light addition Mer had installed shone brightly, the girl added the final touch to her masterpiece as she rolled her Royal Enfield Classic into the workshop, and placing it on its front and rear stands, readying it for when she had her first chance to maintain her favorite vehicle.

 _"I'll need to get that damn torque wrench first_ ", the brunette thought shortly, once again silently reprimanding herself as she turned the lights off and exited the gate, making sure to lock it with the chain securely around it.

When Emerson finally made it back up to the second floor, she walked the few feet from the elevator to her apartment, and entered, throwing her keys to the counter as she shimmied out of her dirt-stained shorts and shirt, tossing them into the laundry immediately as to avoid dirtying her living space so early into her new career.

Hopping into the shower while the clock neared ten 'til nine, Emerson thought over her new career with slight apprehension.

After studying paleontology officially for six years in college, interning with specialists around the globe, and having a profound interest in dinosaurs throughout her entire childhood, no one in her family understood more than Emerson how dangerous the job that the man, Simon Masrani, who'd visited her at Yale had offered her.

The specific species that she would now be working with, the Velociraptor, was not one to be glorified, or underestimated, but at the same time, Emerson couldn't help but feel amazed at the whole situation.

 _Dinosaurs_

One of the men whom she had interned with was Alan Grant, the renowned paleontologist who'd been on Isla Nublar with John Hammond, Dr. Ellie Sattler, and Dr. Ian Malcolm.

During her time with Doctor Grant, Emerson had both seen and heard her fair share of the man's own bias against the newly opened Jurassic World, but even he had been slightly awed as the park grew years by without incident.

She'd even kept in contact with him monthly after her first and second internships with him and his institute had ended, and she'd definitely had an earful of warning when he found out that she would be working with raptors up close and personal.

Yet despite all the warnings, Emerson couldn't help but be amazed. She couldn't help the awe-inspiring place from effecting her in such a way that had her completely overwhelmed with exuberance at the thought of being a part of the program.

Grinning from ear to ear though no one could see her, Mer exited the shower, feeling her now freshly smoothened legs as she slid her undergarments on, with a short pair of high waisted khaki shorts following and a brown leather belt and a firm black leather key holding box that slid on her belt.

Before placing on a top, Emerson grasped a blow dryer to avoid water marks on her shirt.

When her brown hair had finally dried into soft brown curls, the woman tied up her hair in a braided bun, slipped on a black short sleeved shirt, and then cleanly tucked it into her pants with a green vest that had pouches over the breast areas.

Finally exiting the bathroom, Emerson grabbed her pre-lain out black socks and watch, fastening the latter onto her left wrist and the former onto her feet, soon to be followed by the brown hiking boots with their black and grey trim that sat by her front door.

As the brown haired girl finally stood in her kitchen and checked her watch, she found with relief that it only read 0937, showing she still had a decent ten minutes before she needed to head down to the lobby of the compound.

 _Appropriate clothing?_

 _Check_

 _Watch?_

 _Check_

 _Backpack?_

 _Che-_

"That's what I was missing!" Mer exclaimed to herself, power-walking back to her room and grabbing the black water resistant backpack that was home to her wallet, granola bars, notebook, extra writing utensils, and her Ka-Bar with a back-of-belt attachment.

She planned on keeping the five-inch blade in her bag until she had cleared it with the paddock authorities.

Finally set for her first day of work, Emerson Langley grabbed her keys from the counter and placed them in the leather key case upon her belt before exiting her apartment and making her way down to the lobby while carrying five heavy boxes of files and books that she knew she'd be needing.

It hadn't escaped her notice that despite the voices she'd heard the previous afternoon around four and that morning around seven, Mer still hadn't made contact with any of the building's residents, but she safely assumed it was simply because of her not investigating nor introducing herself to said noises.

Emerson simply figured that she'd meet her compound-mates at work.

Standing in the lobby ten minutes early as her military parents has demonstrated through their whole lives, Emerson was greatly pleased when a red-haired woman made her way through the glass doors of the compound promptly at ten o'clock in a striking white dress with black heels.

While her first visual impression didn't bode well as she saw the woman approaching her on the phone obviously enthralled with business, that quickly changed when the lady hung up after a few short words and held her hand firmly out to Emerson.

"Ms. Claire Dearing, Jurassic World Operations Manager, pleasure to meet you, Ms. Langley", the lady introduced with a smile as she shook her hand and slowly herded the brunette towards the silver car outside.

"Emerson, please, and it's a pleasure to make you acquaintance as well Ms. Dearing", Emerson smiled back as she climbed into the passenger seat of the car, tucking her backpack between her legs.

"So, Ms. La-, _Emerson_ ", she corrected smoothly, "On the topic of your contractual paperwork, if you haven't already you-"

"All signed and ready to go", Em announced, pulling the files out of her backpack and laying them on her own lap where Ms. Dearing could see them clearly.

Claire smiled.

"Lovely. If that's taken care of, then I guess we can move on. Do the living quarters meet your standards?"

"And beyond! The facilities are more than expected and the garage is a great spot for vehicle maintenance. Simply exceptional", Mer replied with exuberance.

Emerson Langley wasn't a fool.

With her fathers upscale security firm, both her brothers and sister as well as herself had been placed in many social situations in which future business relationships depended on them, and their behavior as a portrayal of the family.

While Ms. Claire Dearing seemed to be a toned down woman, who behind her managerial position was probably a very nice lady, she was a businesswoman with billions of dollars at stake, and the best approach to a good relationship was big words and great manners.

"I'm glad to hear so. Other than those two things, the only topics that remain are your job details. You, as a trainer and researcher, will be working foremost with two men by the names of Owen Grady, a researcher, and Barry Fortier, the lead tamer. In your position, you will be expected to partake in the upbringing of the animals as well as their training for practical purposes", Claire stated, keeping her eyes fixed uncomfortable on the dirt road ahead, bright greens of the forest darkened slightly under the cloudy June sky. Winter was approaching, meaning wetter, cooler, conditions.

Well, as cool as it could get for the tropics.

"Practical purposes?" Emerson questioned, slight hands gripping the file stack in her lap.

"All I can say is that though the requests are severely unlikely to go through, there have been investors interested in the Velociraptor Unit, and its possible uses". Ms. Dearing answered, hands gripping the beige leather steering wheel ever so slightly tighter.

Nodding her head slightly to herself, Emerson understood the unspoken words.

 _"There are people who want the animals for not so good things, but we're doing the best we can to shoot them down"_

Either way, they had to be prepared, and at least Emerson herself knew that she would always give the magnificent creatures the care they deserved.

As the eight-minute drive continued, Claire and Emerson kept up small talk, as to avoid an awkward silence, but Mer's biggest interest was in the scenery.

While the compound was further inland, with only the barest peek of the ocean out of her second story apartment window, it appeared that the Velociraptor Paddock was more coastal, as the road had turned further out on the east side of the island, upon the tall rocky cliffs that led down to the jagged rocks and pounding waves of the ocean.

"Ms. Dearing, where are we?" Emerson questioned, trying to visualize the map that she'd gotten to see earlier in the day.

"The Velociraptor Paddock is stationed on the east coast of the island, shortly before the restricted area begins. In the… _previous_ park, the velociraptor enclosure was in the same area, so we simply redid the fences and updated the technology.

When the ride finally concluded, Emerson found herself and her driver pulling up into a giant sandy clearing with several trees scattered about, and a large metal and concrete enclosure in the forward left-hand corner that led up to the jungle. Other than a simple two-story concrete office building, the right side of the clearing was a slight column of trees before the cliffs.

The area itself looked like decently well-organized chaos, with gear and vehicles scattered about, yet with a slight method to its madness.

As Ms. Dearing's car pulled to a stop, the red-haired woman accepted the contractual paperwork from Emerson before the two girls exited the car, the brunette making sure that her backpack was firmly placed upon her back, and her file boxes were once again stacked in her arms.

Standing upon the sandy ground, Mer pulled in a deep breath of the clear air, and rejoiced in the slight scuffle sounds coming from the paddock.

It reminded her of all the work she'd done with her mother and the military.

While her father was the lead financial head of he house, her mother was the parent that all of the children looked up to the most.

Though her little sister Sawyer never truly had the interest, and her oldest brother Collin was too old to really form an attachment to the military K9 division when their mother had started working with them, Emerson and her younger by a year brother, Nathaniel, had grown up going to work with their mother, who acted as a training consultant for the United States Marine Corps MWD Division at Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort, in Beaufort, South Carolina where they lived.

 _MWD standing for Military Working Dogs, that is._

From the age of six, until seventeen, when she graduated high school, she and her brother would stop by everyday after school ended, and work there through the summers with their mother.

While that experience and those qualifications in joint with her paleontology degrees were what now qualified Emerson for her job as a velociraptor trainer, it was that experience that led her brother Nate to join the Marine Corps as a enlisted MWD handler, joining her brother, who was a helicopter pilot in the Marines.

Grinning and enjoying the slight chaos of the situation, Mer brushed away a strand of loose dark hair, tucking it away behind her ear and moving forward to catch up with Claire who was moving surprisingly quickly in the sand for a woman in heels.

* * *

 ** _Please leave a comment or a favorite/follow if you enjoyed the piece, I love to hear what my readers are thinking!_**


	3. Chapter 3 - Cooperation

**_Disclaimer: I own nothing of the masterpiece that is Jurassic World. However, Emerson and_ her _non-previously seen coworkers and family are of my own creation._**

* * *

 _"Don't let people drive you crazy when you know it's in walking distance." - Anonymous_

* * *

 ** _Chapter Three - Cooperation_**

"Now remember, though Mr. Grady seems to have a... _command_ sort of presence, you and he are at the same level. Don't let the man bully you, and represent yourself in this area", Ms. Dearing stated in an unexpected fashion, prompting a look from Emerson, who was struggling with the five boxes she had stacked in her arms.

"What?"

"All four of the velociraptors are female, but the only human contact they've had so far is with males, as that is entirely what makes up the staff out here. As such, the hiring of yourself was for you skills, along with the experimentation of how the creatures will react to same sex species, even if human. Do me a favor and make it work, will you?" Claire tossed out with a smile showing Emerson a glimpse of the character underneath the business suit.

Mer had no doubt that many of the red haired woman's traits carried over, such as her seemingly strict morals and organizational patterns, but that didn't seem to make the lady an awful person.

As the two women entered the concrete building that was across the clearing, Mer found herself blindly following her superior down halls and around corners before she walked into a large room with an open door.

Upon entry, Emerson observed the four light green walls to house three desks; two on one side, turned in their corners to face outward, and the third on the opposite side of the room. The opposite wall to the entrance was only filled with three office chairs that surrounded a table in the center of the room.

The office's only occupants were two men, who both took up the desks that shared the same side, with stacks of paper taking up their workspace, yet at the moment, said men seemed to be ignoring their workload and were seated at the center table, drinking bottled water.

" _Ahem_ ", Claire let out, prompting a tanned man with a rolled up collared shirt and slight facial hair to remove his feet from the table and his dark-skinned co-worker to spin his chair about to face the office intruders.

Emerson had the very clear notion that she was being studied for weakness and took this moment to bend over and place her boxes on the ground.

"I'd like to introduce Ms. Langley, the trainer that you were informed about in the memo earlier this week", Claire started off, posture giving away slight discomfort.

"Ah, yes", the tanned man replied with over-enthusiasm which led Emerson to believe he was either embracing the use of sarcasm, or slightly insane. "You know how we love those memos of yours, Dearing."

"Mr. Grady-"

"Please, Claire, you know you can call me Owen", the man interrupted once again.

Emerson raised her brow infinitesimally, but couldn't help but think she did find some sort of entertainment out of watching the corporate woman get so easily riled up.

"Mr. Grady", she continued, slightly flustered. "…And Mr. Fortier. Ms. Langley will be joining you gentlemen as the last of the three heads out at this outpost. You will be expected to fill her in on the documentation and processes that have been taken out here and will help her in her own research. I will expect a report on such within the next week. Is that clear?" Claire questioned, turning to the 'Mr. Fortier' man for an affirmative answer.

"Very well then", Claire finished, turning to Emerson. "I'll take my leave now. If you need anything, please don't hesitate to give me a call", she finished, handing over a plain white business card with small silver print on it.

"Will do", the brunette responded, watching Claire Dearing flounce away, leaving her alone with the two men, whom she now turned back to.

"Have a seat", Mr. Grady offered pushing out the empty third chair with his already-extended feet and sitting up properly at the table, next to his co-worker.

Slipping her boxes against the wall on the empty side of the room, Emerson slid into the empty chair, resting her heels the chairs legs and leaning forward with her elbows on the table.

The two men stared at her in a brief uncomfortable silence.

"So... Emerson Langley, trainer and paleontologist", she started, unsure of how to proceed conversationally.

More silence.

"Barry Fortier, tamer and animal behavior specialist", Mr. Fortier introduced, leaning across the table to shake her hand which she met heartily.

Almost instinctively, both Barry and Emerson's eyes slid over to the third person at their table, waiting for him to follow suit in their introductions, who continued to stare intensively at the newcomer.

Breaking through the fog of tense awkwardness, Barry nudged his friend's leg with his own.

The result, of course, was the green-eyed man instinctively snapping out the first words in his mind.

"What is the one mannerism you see as the most important in dealing with any animal," he blurted out, breaking through the silence.

Emerson lifted an eyebrow curiously.

While one could say the question wasn't quite unexpected, she figured it would have waited for when she truly began working with the velociraptors.

Staring at his clear green eyes, Emerson gained the idea that the provided question held more weight than the speeding timbre of his voice originally let on.

Taking a few seconds, Em thought back to one of her first lessons that her mom had taught her and her brother when they began working with the MWD's.

 _"Mom! Quick! Nathan got hurt!" Emerson belted out as her seven-year-old self ran to the office where her mom and a bunch of guys wearing camouflage were sitting, grey eyes wide with panic._

 _Being the quick woman her mother was, Elise Langley immediately jumped into action, seeing the slight trace of blood on her daughters hands, following her little girl back to the kennels where the children had been sitting, completing their homework._

 _Running into the open, bay area, with several of the enlisted Marines whose were on duty, Elise was relieved to see her six year old son sitting on the ground and crying over a small flesh wound on his arm._

 _Sitting down in front of the boy, Elise asked him what had happened in a tone that had the clear attempt to calm her son down._

 _"He-, Cars-, *hic*, Carson bi-, bit me", Nathan choked out, green eyes watery with tears and face nearly as red as the hair atop his head._

 _Rather than immediately turning to blame the dog, whom if anything, was being trained to do just as such, Elise interrogated her son as Emerson moved closer to sit with her younger-by-a-year brother, dirt-stained white sundress once again down on the dirty floor with her sibling._

 _"What were you doing before Carson bit you, Nate?" Elise questioned, her own red hair falling slightly in her face as she tilted her face closer to her son._

 _"Wel-, I was, *hic*, playing with the ball", he started._

 _Elise started to understand where this was going._

 _"Nathaniel", she questioned in a motherly tone that had a few of the Marines behind her raising eyebrows. "Were you by any chance holding the ball at Carson's kennel?"_

 _The boy nodded meekly._

 _"So you were teasing him?"_

 _Another nod._

 _Sighing, Elise picked up her son, starting off towards the break room where bandages and such were kept, leaving her daughter sitting the large bay alone._

 _Just as she reached the door, Elise started to speak again._

 _"It's just like I've said to you and you sister, as well as every Marine who's passed through here. The first and most important rule to handling any animal is to develop-"_

"Mutual respect", Emerson finally answered, raising her grey eyes to meet those of her interrogator's.

Watching as Owen Grady's face relaxed slightly, Mer relinquished the breath she'd been holding in for the past few moments.

"Owen Grady, Velociraptor Researcher with a degree in psychology."

* * *

After the first few hours had passed, both men had warmed up to their new officemate at an astounding rate.

Then again, it was mostly a smart decision seeing as how they'd be working together in close quarters potentially for the next few years.

"So what was your degree in?" Barry questioned as he surveyed the room from his desk, watching along with Owen as the woman, having finished filling up her bookshelf and organizing her desk, had moved to hanging diplomas and what looked like framed posters of skeletons on her wall.

He also kept eyeing the sizable Ka-Bar that she had along the back of her belt, in the same place that Owen kept his, yet her knife was much larger.

Finishing the hanging of coelurosaur diagram of bone connections as well as the velociraptor skeleton poster, both of which had been gifts from her mentor, Dr. Grant, Emerson turned back towards Barry to answer his question.

"I have a masters from Yale University in Paleontology, with specializations in Vertebrate Paleontology and Ichnology", Mer answered deftly, stepping down from the stepping stool and moving over to the door to inspect the X-Ray View Box that was hung up next to the door.

Switching the light switch on, Emerson was displeased when no light appeared.

"Are there extra lights?" She questioned, turning to the two men, whom both stared blankly at her.

"Check the closet down the hall. It's the only door on the right", Owen offered, watching as the girl immediately stepped out, closing the door behind her.

"So... what the hell it Ichnology?" Barry questioned, looking at Owen who shrugged.

"No idea. Look it up", he offered to the man, who immediately opened his laptop, pulling up the definition.

After a few moments, Barry began reading. "Basically, it looks like Ichnology is the study of traces left by plants and animals and how it correlates to behavior."

"So it's like tracking and stuff?" Owen surmised, earning a nod from his friend.

When Emerson reentered the room, the two men were talking about some sort of exercise having to do with a pig, planned for the afternoon, and as she sat down at her desk, Mer realized that now that she was completely unpacked, she had nothing extra to work on.

Even her laptop had been set up with her work email and such, so when she sat at her desk tapping her pen to the tune of 'Indiana Jones', Emerson was set and ready for when the two men announced it was time for afternoon work.

Although the outside temperature was a drastic change compared to the cool indoor air, Em found herself thanking her parents for choosing a place such as South Carolina to live, as she was completely acclimated to the heat and humidity already.

With the sky still overcast as it was earlier, and it being June, the rainiest month of the year and the beginning of winter, according to her research of the area, Emerson figured that she'd be expecting there to be rain in the afternoon, but for the time being, she followed Owen and Barry towards the paddock, excitement bubbling throughout her body.

She was finally going to see the creatures whose bones had been one of her biggest lifelong studies.

Following the men onto the catwalk that overlooked the dirt clearing with scattered plants that led into the fenced in, but giant, jungle region that the raptors had to roam.

Owen pulled a whistle from his shirt and gave a loud, sharp sound that had Emerson cringing.

 _First thing that will need to be taken care of._

Rather than saying anything, Emerson waited as the sharp footfalls that could be heard quickly neared, until finally four creatures emerged from the jungle area, flouncing around the clearing.

Mer sunk to a crouch, leaning against the metal railing as she watched the velociraptors.

"So what do you think of my girls?" Owen questioned with the smallest insinuation of pride in his voice, calling Emerson's attention away from the four magnificent beasts.

"They're gorgeous... Absolutely phenomenal... Just... Not what I expected", Emerson let out, never once taking her eyes off the girls who had apparently noticed a new scent among the familiars that they knew, as all four girls had their eyes trained on the newcomer.

"What I wouldn't give to command that attention everyday", Owen mumbled sourly as he watched his girls, albeit knowing that once the new-person-vibe had worn away, the pack would go right back to being how difficult they usually were.

"What do you mean?" Barry continued, ignoring his co-worker and questioning Emerson as she continued eye contact with the raptors.

"Well... To be honest I was kind of expecting much smaller stature, and a lot more feathers", Emerson answered honestly, earning loud laughter from the two men by her side, cause Mer to break her focus and look up at the two guys. "What?" She chirped indigently.

"Nothing. Just the fact that about ninety-nine percent of all others see this as the normal representation", Owen chuckled, watching with a bemused expression at the brunette girl.

"So... Introduce me", she ordered in a joking fashion.

"What?" Owen and Barry questioned at the same time.

"Introduce me! Tell me about the girls!" She explained, gesturing to the pack with a sweeping hand gesture, of which Owen noted that all four heads in the paddock watched with intense focus. "They're amazing."

Owen looked at the woman in front of him with a new viewpoint. Owen had never had anyone who had his true fascination with the raptors other than Barry, and even he, it seemed, was far more toned down. Even the other predator handlers didn't quite understand his attachment.

Owen Grady had a profound feeling that he was going to get along with the new woman much better than he had originally thought.

So, with a smile, Owen turned to the pack and pointed to the closest raptor.

"So that's Echo, the reddish orange one with the scar. She got that in a fight for pack leadership when she was younger. She lost", Owen stated before turned to the next one.

"There's Delta, the dark green girl. Her gene gaps were filled primarily with more avian DNA, so she moves much more like a bird than the others", Owen finished.

By this point, Emerson had taken out a clipboard with paper and was taking notes.

"Does that effect her personality in anyways such as inducing a flightier stance on engagements than the others?"

As he was about the open his mouth and reply, Owen thought over the question. Now that he thought back to encounters, Delta usually was less confrontational than the others.

"Yes, I guess."

Pausing and seeing that no further questions presented themselves, Owen continued.

"The light green girl way in the back is Charlie. She's the youngest, and had her gene gaps filled with Green Iguana DNA, which is the cause of her skin pattern and her eyes being differentiated from the average reptile slits that the other girls share," he finished waiting for any possible questions.

"Finally, there's Blue", he grinned, pointing to the final raptor with blue patterning on her back. "She's the beta, with the DNA of the Black-Throated African Monitor Lizard."

Surveying the girls, Emerson sighed happily. It was all awe-inspiring. The girls were amazing.

 _Hold on. Blue, Charlie, Delta, Echo... Beta, Charlie, Delta, Echo... B,C,D,E..._

"Where's the Alpha?" Mer asked, surveying the paddock for any more of the raptors slinking about.

"You're looking at him", Owen Grady smirked widely.

* * *

 ** _Please leave a comment or a favorite/follow if you enjoyed the piece, I love to hear what my readers are thinking!_**


	4. Chapter 4 - Friendliness

**_Edited - 07/18/15_**

 ** _Disclaimer:_** ** _I own nothing of the masterpiece that is Jurassic World. However, Emerson and her non-previously seen coworkers and family are of my own creation._**

 ** _Author's Note:_** ** _Holy crap guys. 1,000+ views, 69 alerts, and 34 favorites. I love you all. It's only been a week! As I'm sure you all may have noticed, this story will be updated once per week, every Sunday, starting today. In addition, I would like to thank all of the following for the favorites and alerts, as well as the reviews are answered below._**

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 ** _Reviews:_**

 ** _Lyanna Arwen Narsilia –_** Thank you very much for your lovely comment. I really appreciate it and kudos to you for first review. I hope to hear more from you!

 ** _ariah23 –_** Thank you! I've gone to great lengths to develop Emerson Langley as a person with her background and experiences, so I hope you continue to like her.

 ** _Like The Cat I Am –_** Most definitely! I've set a policy for myself to update at least once a week so that I have meetable set standards. I'm really glad you're hooked though, because that means I'm completing my job as a writer ;). I hope you continue to enjoy!

 ** _strafica –_** Thank you! I really appreciate the support.

 ** _Pinnney –_** And I can't wait to post them! I know the feeling of excitement, and since I've only seen a few good OwenxOC stories, I decided to write my own.

 ** _Without Further Ado, I give you…_**

* * *

 _"It is nice to be important, but it's more important to be nice."_

 _John Templeton_

* * *

 ** _Chapter Four – Friendliness_**

 _Four Days._

Four full days had passed since Emerson's new job had begun and the woman now found herself walking into the office an hour early, Friday morning, planning to bring into effect the plan she'd started to accumulate on her very first day.

As she moved through the hall down to the large room that housed her and her coworkers, Mer was pleased to find a small box on her desk, that upon opening, held five small black devices.

Raising one of them up to her ear Emerson pressed the device and was pleased when she heard a clear and concise rattling sound.

 _'Attempting to clicker train Velociraptors. What have I come to?'_ Mer thought, giving herself a degrading shake of the head, despite there being no audience to bear witness.

As she continued to investigate the box's contents thoroughly, checking each device for its functionality, Emerson finally moved to placing the devices upon her bookshelf, keeping a single device in her pocket as she moved to the center of the room with a notepad and a few different colored pens.

It wasn't until Barry Fortier walked in an hour later that he amended to never again be late to work.

It wasn't too much that the interesting movements his coworker was making were particularly outlandish, so much as the fact that she was standing atop the center table in her green vest and black high-waisted shorts an orange shirt that put construction workers to shame, maneuvering barefoot as his tenured friend Owen prowled around the table, inspecting her motions from a lowered angle.

"How about a right arm bend?" Grady suggested, prompting Emerson to reach down and pull out her red notebook, scrawling down words in shorthand.

Restarting the movement, Emerson made a short noise from a device in her left hand before placing her right arm in the military hand signal for halt, with her arm bent upwards and hand scrunched into a fist.

"But I feel like that's too close to the 'Go' command, with two fingers waved forward", Mer countered, tilting her head to the side in thought.

"How about straight arm? Out to the side? I get that you didn't like the idea earlier, but still..." Owen trailed off.

"It's not that I'm completely against it", Emerson pointed out, "But you need to look at it from my point of view. After watching you work with the girls for only a week, I can see clearly that much of your work relies of physical stance, such the way you hold your arms out. While it may be a steadying motion to you..."

"It's a territorial stance to the girls. They see it as me making a claim on my space", the rugged man surmised.

"Exactly, Ranger Rick. Which is why we can't use an open arm signal as if you happen to do that in a situation where you're only trying to calm them down, it could be taken as you giving the command for go...", Emerson finished, taking the offered hand and shoulder as she hopped down from the table and took a seat across from Owen, pouring over a military handbook for possibilities.

"So... What exactly are you two doing?" Barry questioned, moving in towards the room and drawing attention to his direct presence rather than melding into the bustle from personnel walking down the halls.

Looking up from her work, Emerson turned her head sharply, causing her brown braid to tumble over her shoulder.

"I was consulting with Owen for a training method I'm working on, regarding simple commands," Mer explained, causing Barry to look over at the two individuals with growing confusion and concern.

"And this required you on the table why?" He demurred, having trouble seeing a reasonable answer.

"For point of view! The raptors are going to be down in the paddock, looking up at Owen, so we have to make sure that form any point in the area they can see him", Mer answered as she slid her hiking boots back onto her feet.

"And he wasn't on the table because...?"

"Too heavy," Owen finalized.

Both he and Barry probably had a good fifty pounds and five inches on Emerson, and seeing as how the table wasn't built for standing in the first place...

The group partook in a brief moment of silence as Barry's mind processed the information, before he threw himself back into the conversation.

"So what do you have so far?"

* * *

That evening, Emerson found herself sitting in a booth at the Dave & Buster's sports bar and grill restaurant that was placed on the main street in the resort and attractions district, still with her coworkers, albeit showered and now freshly dressed. Apparently, her coworkers came to dinner every Friday there, and she was now permanently invited.

In fact, she hadn't really left their side all week, this being the first time she'd stepped foot in the resort area other than when she first arrived.

Emerson hadn't had the need however.

She had soon found out that despite the extravagant living quarters provided, such things as mass privacy and gates that were closed between the hours of one and four were slight turn-offs to many.

Despite the fact that the six foot gates were exceedingly climbable so long as you possessed some semblance of athleticism.

Mer personally thought it was interesting that Jurassic World operated its housing system much like the military with its on and off base monetary exchange.

Those who lived in the staff compounds around the island received their base salary for their job, seeing as how the buildings supplied bill-free water, electricity, and even had a commons kitchen in the lobby area where breakfast was served for those interested.

Whereas the individuals whom chose to live in trailers, or bungalows, or any other such mode of temporary home, were paid extra in their salary, to compensate for lodging expenses.

 _'It's a great deal either way',_ she thought, admiring Corporate's care for its employees.

After spending the past few hours with the men at her table, Emerson finally decided to split off for her weekend activities, bidding the two men farewell as she pulled out a few bills from her wallet, leaving the cash with them for her share as she exited.

Adjusting the straps of her backpack, Mer relished in the evening breeze that washed over her, rolling in from the large pool of water.

Knowing that she'd be working in the park for the foreseeable future, Mer had made a promise to herself against rushing around to all the sights, as she knew that it would only lead to boredom with the amazing attraction, but glancing over at the water, the brunette figure remembered it to be the location of the Mosasaur Exhibit, one of her favorite prehistoric studies back in school.

This had been made so by Michael J. Everhart, a celebrated paleontologist whom currently served as an adjunct curator at the Sternberg Museum of Natural History in Hays, Kansas, and had been offered an opportunity to teach a seminar on many of the prehistoric water-dwelling creatures at Yale, which he of course accepted.

It had been an amazing learning opportunity that'd moved the great Mosasaurus up to the number two space on her paleontological favorites list.

Right behind the velociraptor, of course.

Placing a a foot decidingly forward, Emerson strode towards the exhibit, hands placed in her shorts pockets with thumbs poked out.

With her park personnel identification tag still visible, clipped onto her vest, Mer approached the large pool, following the signs to where she arrived at the underwater tunnels, devoid of any tourists due to the dinner rush currently going on at Main Street.

"Beautiful, isn't she?"

Emerson turned her head to see a brunette woman with soft blue eyes, making her way toward her in the standard khakis and blue polo Jurassic World staff uniform.

Mer thanked her lucky stars that as an 'off-the-books' enclosure, her own personnel weren't required to wear a uniform.

"Very. Although she's probably a couple hundred times bigger than any of her ancestors", Emerson answered, turning her focus completely to the woman whom was now next to her.

"Interested in Mosasaurs?" The lady questioned in surprise. By estimate, she looked anyway from mid twenties to early thirties.

"Had to be", Mer chuckled, turning to reveal the I.D. upon her left breast pocket. "I studied them for several years as a paleontology major."

Surveying the girls lack of enclosure listing upon her tag and casual dress of a quarter button-up brown tank tucked into denim shorts with a leather belt and green vest, the employee made a guess on the occupation of the tanned girl in front of her.

"You work with control?"

Mer shook her head in a negative gesture.

"Nope. I've been the trainer for the Velociraptor Paddock for the past week. Emerson Langley," she introduced holding her hand out and shaking the woman's.

"Penelope Fischer. I'm the lead Mosasaur handler and I do most of the shows", she replied as the two started walking down the tunnel towards the other side.

The mosasaur continued drifting above them in the pool.

"So you work with Fortier and Grady, right?" Penelope questioned at the two girls reemerged above the surface and started to lap their way back around the enclosure to Main Street.

"That's right. He and Barry are my coworkers", Mer answered.

"So you get to train his little pack and he's just okay with that?" She asked in slight disbelief, causing Emerson to wonder exactly what sort of rumors got out to the park about the crazy staff of Sector 9.

"Well I don't really train them directly", Em redirected. "The way it works is that I help feed and care for and even interact with the girls, yes, but for the true training, I devise actions which I teach to Owen, who then passes the methods on to his pack. Since he's the one who's spent the past four years with them and gone through the imprinting process with them, he's the one who most qualified to deal directly with them.

"So the more appropriate job title for you is Grady Trainer", Penelope state with a smile.

Mer laughed.

"You said imprinting process. I thought it was something that happens when they're born. Isn't it?"

"Sort of. The thirteen to sixteen hour period that happens after hatching is the most critical, where hatchlings respond the most to the first moving stimulus they receive, but contrary to popular belief, it's actually in the third to eleventh week that's the most important. Either way, it's the action of the animal, not the action of the human, that is classified as imprinting," Emerson stated, judging the blank look on Penelope Fischer's face.

"I worked at an aquarium before this. I've never really dealt with animal sciences before other than handling food and such," Penelope clarified slightly, as Emerson gained a new understanding of her newfound friend.

"So what kind of shows and such do you do?" Emerson questioned, eyeing the main tourist area as they neared it.

"Well first and foremost, I do the shows up in the bleachers, for feeding and such, as well as other special events. Have you gotten a look at the faculty maps of the Mosasaur Pool?" Penelope asked, leading on to a new topic.

"Not really, why?"

"Well the Mosasaur Pool is actually shaped like a two ring target, with a thirty-five foot wide fence that goes around the outside in a crescent, only not touching near Main Street since the Advertising Department thought it'd be cool for tourists to get a closer look at the Mosasaur from the restaurants. That crescent area is used as a SCUBA attraction, since the wall dividing the Mosasaur and the coral fish area is clear."

"That actually sounds quite cool", Mer commented, thinking about how the handlers would keep their charge from ramming the wall for fish.

"Yes. Very. You wouldn't happen to have a SCUBA license, would you?" Penelope questioned.

Em nodded as the two women came to a halt at the viewing area next to the giant tank.

"Well in that case, if you aren't busy, would you be up to helping me with a diving tour on Sunday? It could help you socialize with some of the other employees, as well as get some under-the-table money for before you get your first paycheck. It's pretty simple, seeing as how you just have to swim in the back of the group and make sure people aren't doing anything they shouldn't be and such. I only ask since my usual assistant is gone for the week back to Spain where she lives," Penelope questioned, holding her breath.

"Yeah, sure. I don't work on weekends except for having to feed the girls in the mornings, but that's at six. I assume your tour goes later?"

"Great. Thank god", the handler let out with a sigh. "In that case, if you could meet me by the arena at eight tomorrow, Saturday morning, we can get you some gear so that you'll be ready Sunday."

Nodding, Emerson traded one of her newly given business cards with the handler, exchanging contact information.

"Sounds good, Penelope. It's getting late and near curfew for the compound, so I better run, but I'll see you tomorrow morning", Em granted, departing.

"Bye, Emerson."

Stopping, Em corrected the Mosasaur Handler with a smile.

"My friends call me Mer."

* * *

The drive home wasn't necessarily eventful, as the most excitement she had was a very large snake that slithered across the road in front of her Jeep and the following squeaky sound that Emerson made.

Still without a torque wrench, Emerson hadn't yet been driving her bike around, but she at least had the fact to thank that there hadn't been any decent weather yet, so she wasn't missing out on much.

From what she had seen, Owen and Barry both lived in their own bungalows, but seemed to drive together in official vehicles, although she'd heard that the former was an owner of a motorcycle, himself, though she had yet to see the elusive creature.

If all else came to pass, she'd need to see if Owen could lend her the tool.

When she arrived home, the first thing Emerson did to prepare for the night was strip down and grab a pair of shorts and a tank, before heading to the shower. But after that, she spent the next twenty minutes looking at her alphabetized and categorized by genre movie collection, a trait she'd picked up from her own childhood home, where they owned about a thousand movies.

As the important choice came to a close, Emerson grasped Miracle, an Ice Hockey movie, to watch as she sat down on the couch.

* * *

 _ **As always, a read and review is most welcome!**_


	5. Chapter 5 - Kindness

**_Disclaimer:_** ** _I own nothing of the masterpiece that is Jurassic World. However, Emerson and her non-previously seen coworkers and family are of my own creation._**

 _ **Author's Note:**_ _Wow!_

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 ** _Reviews:_**

 **NicoleR85 -** _Thank you so much! I'll definitely keep updating soon._

 **Pinnney -** _Great! The problem is when it isn't exciting, and I'm sure Em appreciates the complement._

 **shadowlover31 -** _First off, thank you so much for taking the time to leave that lengthy review. I really appreciate it. I saw to movie for the third time on Wednesday, and I still say it's my favorite movie. Blue is most definitely the best raptor, but I hold a soft spot for all of them. The scene where Owen was a badass was totally and completely my favorite (Other than Rexy and Blue teaming up at the end), and I can definitely say that I have something planned for when we get there in the story. To comment on your last comment, about the length of chapters, I had something to add. Since I already have each chapter and its topics planned out, it's very hard for me to extend chapters past a certain point without dragging on, and the way I see it, I would rather have shorter chapters with better writing, than longer chapters with poorer writing. Either way, I really do appreciate your review and hope you have a wonderful day/night as well!_

 **ZabuzasGirl -** _Awesome. Sadly I can't update immediately, but I'll be sure to keep up my updating schedule._

 ** _...and without further ado..._**

* * *

 **Chapter Five – Kindness**

* * *

 _"_ _The way we spend our time defines who we are." - Jonathan Estrin_

* * *

"Blue", Emerson called, holding the dead white rat in her hand as she looked meaningfully at Beta Raptor. "This one's for you."

Tossing the rat at the girl, Mer watched the slight blood trickle running down the females jaw.

It was a show of power that Owen decided to include her in.

An example that even though Blue was the beta of the pack, feeding her last was showing there were still those above her.

As soon as the pack was fed, Emerson wiped her hands against the sides of her military green shorts, careful to make her way down the Paddock 4's stairs, watching herself, as her grey converse didn't exactly have the best traction for wet metal steps.

Filling out the pack's charts on her clipboard as she made her way towards the office building, moving through the crowd of sparse security workers and others pulling overtime, Emerson saved herself when she nearly ran into a pudgy red-faced man pounding on the door.

"Grady! Boy, you let me in!"

" _Nope_ ", she muttered, popping the third letter as she turned on her foot, moving around to the building's back entrance.

 _Why is Owen even here this early, and on a Sunday no less_ , Mer questioned silently, glancing at the watch to see ' _0723_ ' printed clearly.

As she swiped her security card and walked down to corridors to the office, Em finished off the papers, walking into the office room just in time to find her coworker displaying a rather firm backside as he bent in front of the door.

"Owen?" Mer questioned in surprise, causing the tall man to jolt upward in surprise.

"Good morning, Em. The girls fed?" he yawned, placing a rough hand on the back of his neck.

"Yeah, but what are you doing here?" She inquired, striding across the room and placing her clipboard and notes on the bookshelf in the coordinating filing areas.

"Hiding from the guy pounding on the door. Did you talk to him at all?" Grady huffed, rubbing at his prominent jaw in exasperation.

"Nah. Too loud for my taste", she joked "Is he part of the staff here?"

"Sorta. That's Vic Hoskins, who's the man in charge of the InGen private security crew here. He's the one who hired me in the first place", Owen started off, leaning against the table in the center of the room.

Mer didn't exactly grasp what was so bad about him.

"He's been working on a military application for the raptors as of recently."

 _Oh._

"So what's he want in here, then?" Emerson questioned, scanning over what could be of importance.

"Files, protocol, ect. I'm actually surprised he's not already in here since his i.d. tag is high level enough to get him in, but I guess he forgot it or some such. Either way," he lapsed, taking note of the tanned woman preparing to depart, "His presence means nothing good."

Locking her desk and grabbing her laptop among other items to be placed in the black backpack sitting in her chair, Mer slung the item over her shoulder, watch Owen himself prepare to leave.

"You wouldn't happen to be headed back towards the resort, would you?" Em asked as the two of them started for the metal office door that usually stayed open, and locked it for Hoskins insurance.

"Yeah, why?"

"I came over here with the carpool from Facility 9. I don't quite have a ride", she explained as they neared the back door, leaving to avoid running into the InGen security leader.

"Sure then. I can drop you off. What are you up to today, anyway?" Owen asked as he adjusted the collar on his rolled up shirt.

"Helping out with a diving tour with Penelope Fischer, the lead Mosasaurus handler, around eleven this morning, so I have to grab either a jeep or my bike if I can get it fixed before I go, and then get moving", Mer answered, checking her watch.

"You have a motorcycle?" Owen asked in slight surprise, grasping his focus enough to turn his head down and to the right, facing Emerson.

"As of a few years ago, yes. It's a Royal Enfield Classic Battle Green", she expanded, as they approached Owen's own parking spot.

He seemed to have decided to ride his own bike today.

"That's a nice vehicle, but how come we've never seen it in the little while you've been here?" He commented.

"Because the weathers been nothing but rain up until today, and I don't yet have off-road tires for the dirt", Mer answered flippantly, hoping to insinuate the obviousness of the answer his question pertained to.

"As much as I'm enjoying this... are you coming?" a voice suddenly broke through Emerson's thoughts.

Turning her head, Mer followed Owen's motions, and swung her leg over the back of the bike as he started it, scooting up to him and wrapping her arms around his firm middle.

 _"I hope you're a good driver",_ she though to herself, eyeing her helmet-less head, bare legs, and short sleeves.

* * *

"So you're going to take this, and this", Penelope ordered, handing the wetsuit and ankle-high diving boots that Emerson had previously tried on the day before. "Now change", she ordered.

Her ride with Owen had gone reasonably well, and he'd even promised to loan her the wrench she needed when he heard about her dilemma. She been left the instructions to check her mailbox at the compound when she got back later that night.

Stripping down and tossing her shorts and shirt down on the locker room bench, Emerson was left in a plain orange bikini, that held no strings or frills. It was perfect for putting under a wetsuit.

"Orange, huh?" Penelope commented, eyeing the obnoxious offending object as she herself changed into a neon green swimsuit of the same design,

"Pot calling the kettle black."

Giggling slightly, the two of them quickly slipped into their wetsuits.

Both were of the same design, with a large silver section taking over from chest to abdomen on the front, and shoulder to the small of the back. The arms and legs were a royal blue color.

The only embellishments upon the outfit was the Jurassic World insignia embroidered above the left breast and a clear card-sized pocket on the inside that shone outward.

"Now, put your identification card in the pocket. Don't worry, it's waterproof", Penelope instructed as she did the same.

The only addition to the suit left, was the ankle boots.

"What are _those_ ", Mer inquired, looking at the bits of metal in the shoe as she placed the black booties on her feet.

"Allow me to demonstrate", Nel grinned proudly.

Walking over to a black scuba fin, Nel placed her foot inside, and Emerson listened to the satisfying click as her friend raised the foot, that now had the fin attached by metal clasps.

Penelope shook the foot for good measure.

"How does it disengage?" Mer asked, inspecting the footwear. Penelope simply reached down and pulled a small lever on the inside of the fin, that allowed her to pull her shoe out.

"And that way, you can walk around without needing to get shoes or anything. Plus, the latch takes enough force that it won't get caught on anything", Penelope bragged, showing off the toy.

Placing her backpack and other belongings into a locker in the staff room, Emerson and Penelope walked out into the sun to cross the patio leading to the large entrance foyer to the exhibit hall, both with their wetsuits unzipped to their waist, and folded down.

"It's so hot", Nel commented as a stray cloud covered the sun. Emerson shot her an incriminating look.

"Where are you from, anyway?" Mer inquired as she hauled her air tanks and other gear between her arms and the black duffel on her left shoulder.

"Originally, I worked at Georgia Aquarium, the world's number one aquarium in Atlanta, Georgia as a diver, but before Masrani Global picked me up I was doing research in New Zealand on behaviors and such of the same species of animals who are geographically separated", Penelope explained. "What about you? Where were you before all of this?" She asked, waving her arms in the air to motion towards the Island.

"Well, I was born and raised all over, when my dad was in the Marine Corps, but when he retired, our family settled in South Carolina, right outside Parris Island where he started up a private security firm," Emerson answered as the two girls once again entered the amazingly large building.

"So how's this going to work, exactly?" Emerson asked as she set her gear down against the underground aquarium wall that looked out at the clear blue water holding the magnificent prehistoric beast.

"Well, it's quarter of nine right now, and showtime is ten. When everyone gets here, we'll get them fitted for-"

"No, like, what am I doing in the water?" Emerson clarified.

Recognition dawned on Penelope's face, and the brown haired woman reached into the duffel by her feet, pulling out two objects with straps attached.

Upon closer inspection, they were diving knives.

"You shouldn't need to worry since there's an age limit of fifteen and up, so people shouldn't be doing stupid shit, but we do have a few species of sharks in the tank. They are usually pretty passive but just in case, you're on the look out", Nel explained, handing one off to Mer as they both strapped them on their right thighs.

 _'Great. Five inches of metal against a couple hundred pound shark", Mer thought abrasively._

When in the next few minutes a group of about thirty people entered the large hall, following a standard employee who was wearing his blue polo with khakis, Emerson and Penelope stood up off the ground, walking towards the tourist group whom were all wearing swimsuits.

Mer found a slight joy in seeing all of the men wearing a Jurassic World speedo, as they obviously had to buy one since they hadn't packed something that could work in a wetsuit.

"Good morning, everyone!" Penelope started, in the peppiest manner she could manage. "Since you've all already signed the paperwork and such, we're going to send you to get changed. Men, if you'll follow Garrett", she called, as a man whom she hadn't yet seen raised his hand from the back, drawing attention to his own wetsuit-clad body and styled ginger hair. "Women can follow me, Penelope, and when you're done, come back out here to Emerson to get checked in."

Mer held her hand up to feel included in the festivities, and offered a smile.

As soon as the groups dispersed, Emerson found herself turned around a watching the Mosasaur through the window.

The foyer she was standing in was probably one of her new favorite places, as the window itself was at least twenty meters high, and twice that in width.

The water was crystal blue and the sun could be seen filtering through the water in rays.

"Ms. Langley?"

 _Now_ who, _on this island, calls me that._

"Claire?" Mer asked, watching the operations manager approach, but the real surprise was the tacky yellow wetsuit she donned, and the casual way her hair was pulled back.

She looked very unlike the prim and proper, well-dress woman that had driven her to work on her first day.

"So what are you doing here?" Claire questioned, taking in Emerson's obvious diving attire.

"Helping out. Penelope Fischer is a friend of mine and I just happen to have my SCUBA certification. The real question is what are _you_ doing here?" Mer asked, crossing her arms below her stomach.

"I'm working on closing a deal with Verizon to sponsor one of our new additions to park, but the representatives seem to be quite firm on visiting and _'inspecting'_ ", she placed in finger quotations, "all of the attractions first. If you ask me, they're more of overgrown infants with wandering hands."

Immediately after speaking, Claire covered her mouth, the slightest hint of red spreading over her face.

"I probably shouldn't have said that", Claire choked awkwardly on her words.

"It's fine. I know how to keep my mouth shut", Emerson grinned, waving it off. "So what's the new addition in the park?" she inquired.

"We recently added a canoeing and kayaking venture with the assets in the valley, but now that it's gaining popularity, we're trying to bring in a sponsor to take expenses down for us", Claire explained, running a hand over her shoulder in a forward sign of stress.

"Hey Claire. What are you doing tonight?" Emerson asked, pulling out the clipboard to check people in as they ventured out of the locker rooms.

"I have… a meeting at four thirty, and then everything else my assistant is handling", Claire recited as if she'd been visualizing a sheet of paper and reading off of it. "Why for?"

"Well", Mer began with a large breath, "Since I'm still new here, I haven't made an astounding number of friends, and I was wondering if you would perhaps like to join me and hang out the evening? Maybe we could watch a movie or something."

Claire expression seemed monumentally surprised by the invitation, and at first, she appeared ready to decline, but both the speaker, and the questioner were quite surprised when something different came out of her mouth.

" _Al-_ Alright. That sounds like fun, Emerson."

Turning grey eyes up at the ginger haired woman, Emerson Langley smiled. Claire Dearing had addressed her by first name.

As the two girls stood by, working out details for later, more people started filtering out of the locker rooms, and came over to Emerson to get checked in.

Much to Mer's amusement, the grayed old men did indeed seem to have wandering hands.

She wasn't much to worried however, as with the way that wetsuit fit her, she was sure that should they become a problem, many of the young men ogling her would step in.

As the group started outside towards the entrance steps with Garrett and Penelope, the three of them picked up their gear and started towards the storage building next door.

"Now, our Mososaurus is an aquatic carnivore, sixty feet long and weighing in at around five tons. This girl's bite force has been measured at thirteen thousand pounds, but many of our researchers think she can do better. The pool that she resides in, is total three million gallons of water", Penelope said, continuing on as she enjoyed spouting out interesting facts about her charge.

Emerson herself, found the entire ordeal to be quite enjoyable. The drop in spot was on the other side of the giant pool, and it would take a good fifteen minutes to walk, even at the pace they were moving, but the compound stretched around, and Penelope led them around the area, touring through a few of the major areas, and leading from the front while Garrett and Emerson stood in the back, watching to make sure that no persons were wandering off.

In that time, she'd learned that the auburn haired man, Garrett Wilmington, was a twenty year-old intern who attended California State University, and was working on a major in marine biology. Since it was a summer internship in the states, however, he had been since the beginning of winter in late-May, and was scheduled to leave around August eighth.

As the group finally converged upon the pier, Mer and her new compatriot moved forth to the front of the herd, standing next to Penelope and listening to her go over procedure with how to gently guide off the sharks of they got too close for comfort.

When the time finally came, Emerson and Garrett were the first in the water, helping any people who needed it.

It was only after everyone was in the water that Em was able to marvel at her new aquatic surroundings.

The ground was a sort of reef, and was home to many species of vibrant fish as well as six sharks that patrolled the entire ridge tank.

 _Two Blue Sharks, two Nurse Sharks, and two Caribbean Reef Sharks._

She vaguely remembered Penelope making a point to tell the people that while the sharks were all female in order to prevent unneeded spawn, the reef's fish were diverse genders, to promote breeding and take down on money spent by the park feeding the sharks.

The real magnificence of the tank was the wall, though. The reef itself was raised from the bottom of the Mosasaur tank itself, and as such was only about one hundred feet deep, but the entire wall facing the larger exhibit was clear, giving a wide view to the prehistoric beast.

The same prehistoric beast who was now swimming alongside the barrier, thrashing with a cloud of blood coming from one of the dropped great whites it was ripping apart.

* * *

 _ **Author's Note -**_ I had a question from a viewer regarding my information and some other things and I wanted to make my answer available to all of you wonderful people. Since for private reasons she wouldn't like her username revealed, I'll just call her Anonymous.

* * *

 **Anonymous -** _So I was reading you story and I had a few questions. Up until now, I've read JW fanfics that are a bunch of weird made up facts and stuff, but with the way u put out a lot of stuff, it seems oddly specific. Is your information true for like the park's layout and that one guy who was the mosasaur expert? thx :)_

 **StormingMyCastle -** _While I took creative liberty in making up things like the housing options and the compound in Sector 9, most, if not all, of my information is true. For example, Dave & Buster's, the restaurant that Emerson is at with Owen and Barry in Chapter Four, is actually there in the park. my locations of stores, restaurants, enclosures, and ect. is all from the Jurassic World and Masrani Global websites that were set up by the movies' marketing people. I have the interactive maps and everything that I use to write. To address your other comment, with "that one guy who was the mosasaur expert", he is a real person. Michael J. Everhart is, indeed, a celebrated paleontologist whom currently served as an adjunct curator at the Sternberg Museum of Natural History in Hays, Kansas. I had the pleasure of meeting him once, and simply found that I couldn't bring the Mosasaurus into the story without mentioning that remarkable man. So yes. In total, a great deal of research goes into this story. If you have any other questions feel free to ask._

* * *

 _ **So yes. There you all are. Please Read and Review!**_


	6. Chapter 6 - Respect

**Disclaimer: I own nothing of the masterpiece that is Jurassic World. However, Emerson and her non-previously seen coworkers and family are of my own creation.**

 **Author's Note:** _I apologize for the late chapter. I ended up spending all of yesterday in the hospital with my sister while we waited for my dad to come out of his prostate cancer removal surgery and I simply didn't feel in the mood to write while waiting for something like that. The chapter itself is a bit short and low-quality writing, but I promise to all of you the I will work out all my issues there and be ready to go for next Sunday. Sorry, all! Another note, is that if you have time, please reread the story. I went through to edit and I ended up changing a few small details that will make big differences later._

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 **Reviews:**

 **Orchamus –** Yep! Honestly, Claire Dearing is my hero for doing that entire movi in heels, and I've loved her in several other movies, so out of respect for both the character and the actress, I just can't see myself degrading her character.

 **NicoleR85** – Thank you! I can't wait for you to read more!

 **Vaughn Tyler** – Thanks.

 **katiesgotagun** – Yay. I'm trying to build the type of relationionship that you'd normally see in an office, since I don't think that it's very believable when in a story there is completely unfounded hate/love right from the start.

 **Pinnney** – So was I! I've got that type of activity planned, but I think it's going to be awhile yet.

 **andimcd2000** – Thank you so much for the complements. It really means a lot to me because since I have those same viewpoints when I read a story, it's nice to hear that I live up to my own expecations. I hope to hear more from you!

 **Elvenrose22** – Can't wait to write more! I can promise that there's going to be much more interaction from Mer's side with the raptors because of something I have planned coming up., so don't worry. It may be a little while though!

 **Kam74** – Thanks! I'm glad to hear that, and I can promise that I'll try to keep Emerson that way, despite the fact that she might be a bit off when I rip out all of you readers' hearts in the next twenty or so chapters. (Mwahaha). I totally agree with the Barry view, and I feel like when reading, that most authors seem to portray Barry as being more of the 'sideline guy', when in actuality, he has just as much of a job as Owen in the movie. The thing that people tend to zone in on is that Owen is the leader of the pack, I guess. Either way, I can make the firm promise that Barry is going to keep up appearances, but he may be sparse in the next few chapters after what happens at the end of this one. I can't wait to hear more from you and I hope you have a wonderful week!

 **…** **and without further ado…**

* * *

 **Chapter Six - Respect**

* * *

 _"Respect is not imposed nor begged. It's earned and offered"_

 _Unknown_

* * *

It was late in the afternoon when Emerson found herself placing a few shopping bags in the backseat of her Jeep, and the shutting the door of her car.

The dive had gone swimmingly, (no pun intended), besides the middle-aged gentleman who'd thrown up in his mask after watching the Mosasaur feed, but even that problem Mer hadn't had to deal with.

Penelope had pawned him off on Garrett, who then proceeded to place the highest level soul-sucking glare that he could muster upon his two female counterparts, before departing with the gentleman.

However, other than that incident, Emerson had experienced a wonderful trip, and after she'd showered and changed back into her clothes in the locker room, felt refreshed and ready for her get-together with Claire.

 _Claire._

Emerson got the impression from the woman that Claire Dearing didn't have very many if not one close friend on the island. She, however, was prepared to step up to the plate and take one for the team.

So as Mer leaned against the Jeep and watched the sun slowly lower through her deeply-tinted sunglasses, the brunette started to think about what the woman would be comfortable with.

Emerson Langley was a woman with few inhibitions when it came to having a good time, and though going out for drinks or bad karaoke were often what her group activities pertained to, Mer didn't want to subject the red-haired woman to such an outing when the woman was pretty obviously uncomfortable with non-professional relationships.

They'd work on that.

Much to Mer's displeasure, she took in the sight of the heeled woman whom approached her with a bag of files in hand.

"What's with the paperwork?" Mer called out cautiously, warranting Claire's attention.

"I need to drop this by at control then I'm ready to go", the woman answered as she smoothed down the front of her white dress and started towards the Hammond Creation lab with Emerson casually following.

"So you ready for tonight?" Mer asked, easing her way into the question.

"I'll admit that at first I wasn't so keen, but the more I think about it, the more fun it sounds", Claire admitted with a notable head nod.

As the two women entered the Hammond Creation Lab, Emerson differed to her red-haired compatriot's prior experience and followed the female through halls and such.

Meanwhile, Mer was doing everything she could just to make sure she watched where her guide was going.

The building itself was _amazing_ allover, with its holograms and displays, and the brown haired girl stared in wonder at everything, tucking her thumbs into her leather belt and continuing on through the halls.

Everywhere they went, high tech gear followed, glimmering in the afternoon light that slipped through the glass ceiling. Emerson barely avoided crashing into Claire when she suddenly stopped in front if an elevator.

"Is it going to war or something?" Mer inquired in a questioning manner as she surveyed the elevator and it's three keycard scanners and six-inch thick doors.

Claire turned and cast an amused expression her way.

"There's some people who we don't need bothering us", she answered.

As the two stepped into the elevator in tandem and began the fourteen second decent, it bemused Emerson for her to find the transport abuzz with the type of music you'd find after being put on the holdline of a bank.

When the mode of transportation finally halted and the two women exited the elevator, Emerson was immediately assaulted by a man trying to see her identification card.

"Isaac. She's good", Claire stated as she continued walking, dragging on the brunette behind her.

"So-"

"I'll be right back. I need to drop off some papers then I'll return", Claire noted as she scooted off through a door where Emerson could make out the faintest outline of offices.

Sighing as the lady once again walked off, Emerson turned to the control room itself, taking in the desk spaces and hologram maps.

What particularly drew her attention was an empty desk with dinosaur figurines placed atop it. As Mer scooted up next to it, she surveyed the dinosaurs with keen interest.

It was only as the lithe figure reached out to touch the ankylosaurus that a panicked male voice broke out over the room's reasonable silence.

"Don't touch those!"

Standing up to face the man, Mer found him to be only an inch or two taller than herself, who already stood at five feet and seven inches.

"Sorry", she apologized to the brown-haired man with blocky black glasses. "I was just looking since I used to have the same set."

"Yo- you like dinosaurs too then?" The man questioned.

"Of course she likes dinosaurs, dimwit. She does work in a park specializing them, doesn't she?" The man sitting in front of Lowery muttered under his breath.

"Yeah. I do", Mer answered for herself as she extended her hand for the man to shake. "Emerson Langley. Velociraptor trainer."

"Lowery Cruthers. I work in control", glasses responded, slowly gaining confidence in his speech.

"She knows, dumbass", the male once again hissed.

"Shut up, Rob", the woman sitting next to Lowery responded protectively, before extending her own hand to Emerson. "Vivian Krill. Park Security Directives Operator."

"Lovely to meet you, Vivian. Quite the title you've got there."

"So what are you doing in here?" Lowery questioned, noting her lack of job-doing.

"I'm actually waiting on-"

"Emerson! You ready to go?" Claire asked, interrupting, ignoring Lowery and Vivian's disbelieving looks and the mouthed words that looked very much like, _'Claire has friends?'_. At Mer's nod, Claire continued, "Then let's go befo-."

"Ms. Dearing!"

 _Dammit, what's with all of these interrupting people deciding to congregate in one place._

It was only when Emerson turn round that she realized who the interruptor was.

"Ah, Mr. Masrani", Claire greeted, plastering a fake smile on her face. "The papers you requested are on your desk in the office."

"That's good, bu-"

"We really need to run sir, but if you contact me through email, I can be sure to reply quickly", she breathed, dragging Emerson behind her, and giving the brown haired girl just the barest time window to wave to the man who'd hired her before the elevator door shut.

"She'-"

"Don't Lowery", Vivian warned, "You wouldn't stand a chance."

As Emerson found herself being dragged back to the parking lot behind the concrete barrier that separated Main Street from the dirt employees backroad, Mer started to veer away from Claire.

"I'll meet you back at my place", Emerson called as Claire unlocked the door to her Mercedes-Benz, her reply being a slight nod.

And so the drive began.

* * *

Upon entering the building, the first thing Mer did was stop at her mailbox behind the front counter, only to discover that the wrench Owen promised was sitting patiently in all of it's oil stained glory, staining the white box.

 _'Owen Grady, what am I going to do with you.'_

It was only as Emerson turned to exit the room that she found Claire, apparently caught up, standing in the foyer whilst engaged in conversation with who was initially though to be one of the neighbors she had yet to fully meet.

Not bad looking at all in his suit and blue tie, but next to Claire and him with his perfectly styled blonde hair, Emerson felt awfully underdressed.

After giving the two a moment in which Mr. Suit pulled out his phone, Mer emerged from the shadows in the most non-creepy fashion that she could muster.

"Well, I guess I'll contact you later", the man smiled, offering a wave as he walked out of the building and into the blazing late-evening sun.

"So who's he?" Mer wiggled her eyebrows, looking at Claire who was still standing still as a stone.

The red haired dame's face hardened to the appearance of granite.

"The man who's attempting to take my job."

* * *

After the bomb had been dropped, Mer and Claire spent most of the time in silence, watching a movie that Claire had chosen from her own abundant collection.

Sadly, despite the high quality picture film they were watching, neither girl paid attention.

Rather Claire spent the time gnawing on ice cubes.

When it neared eleven, Claire left with the promise to call her new friend within the next week, before stepping unceremoniously out the door and marching inside the elevator.

It was only after the lady's disappearance that Emerson dashed off to change into an old baseball shirt and yoga shorts, grabbing her music player and Owen's wrench off the counter.

When she finally found herself in the workshop, Mer tuned her phone to one of her playlists and started on switching out her wheels for the off-road tires hanging on the wall in the corner.

* * *

 _"Lady, running down to the riptide, Taken away to the dark side, I wanna be your left hand man, I love you when you're singing that song and.."_

Cracking her eyes open, Mer's first thought was that she needed to change her wake-up alarm song.

Her second, however, was as to questioning why she was sleeping on the kitchen floor.

The latter was easily answered as soon as she became aware of the pool of grime she was laying in. The usually neat, tiled kitchen floor was currently filled with a blotch of oil and mud where she had apparently had the sense not to enter her own bed in the haphazard situation that her clothing was in.

Quite suddenly, her phone let out an unauthorized loud noise, disturbing the silence of the room.

"Emerson Langley", she let out moodily, taking a look at the clock.

 _'Good. I'm not late for work. Yet.'_

"Hey Mer! How's it going?" a bright, cheery voice broke out, countering the usual deep rumble that the man's voice usually held.

"Hi Nathan. What do you need?" Em sighed as she picked herself off the floor and started towards the shower.

"Well, me and Sam-"

"Sam and I", Emerson corrected habitually.

"Me and Sam", Nathaniel Langley continued, undeterred, "are on our way to Soto Cano Air Base in Honduras, currently', he explained, pausing.

Emerson could barely remember the name, but now that he mentioned it, the brunette recalled Soto Cano to be mainly a forward operations base for narcotics based missions, which was what Samantha, Nate's MWD, was trained in, rather than explosives.

As Emerson nodded to herself, she responded, placing the clothes that she'd picked out for the day ahead on the bathroom counter.

"What's your point, Nathaniel", she replied to his statement sardonically.

"Well why don't you come a visit us?" He suddenly questioned. 'We'll be there in three weeks from August fourteenth until the seventeenth. There's an overlap with a full weekend in there, and I haven't seen you since my deployment in April", he whined, causing Emerson to huff.

Back in April, Nate had volunteered and found himself along with his MWD accepted into the near two-hundred and fifty man rapid-response task force that was to be based in Central America, where he and his canine companion were training with local forces battling drug cartels and preparing to stand ready to help in the event of hurricanes and other natural disasters.

However, now that he and Sam qualified for a new duty station back in the states, they were being relocated back to Parris Island in South Carolina for a two month station as instructors to new K9 hopefuls while he waited for his orders to turn over.

"Nathan. Soto Cano is four-hundred fifty miles away", she argued, standing in the hall. "Not to mention the hour-long ferry ride to and from the island", she grumbled.

"Come on", he coaxed. "You know you wanna see Sammy", he cooed, a bark sounding over the phone line.

"Alright", Emerson finally agreed grudgingly. "Send me the details."

After hanging up and running through the shower, Mer found herself with a little under thirty minutes before work officially started for her, so tossing an apple into her backpack and knowing that she had plenty of granola bars inside of her desk, she rushed out the door and down to the garage and her motorcycle.

The drive itself was great, and the new off-road tires that she'd installed were wonderful, but Emerson almost wished that she hadn't rushed when she arrived at the paddock to bright, flashing ambulatory lights.

 _'What happened!?'_

Parking her bike in the center of the dusty clearing, Mer hurried up to the paddock catwalks, where Owen and Barry were pacing atop.

"Barry, what happened?" She questioned to the man nearest to her.

Scanning the paddock area and her two coworkers, she couldn't find any signs of injury or a bloodbath.

"One of the veterinary interns decided he could handle more work than what they were giving him-" Owen started off.

"When he tried to give the girls their vaccines by leading them into the holding cells by hand, Echo took his hand off.", Barry finished.

"Usually I just give a whistle command which is how we avoid that", Owen exclaimed.

"Why didn't anyone call me?" Mer questioned, looking back at the ambulance in horror.

"We figured you'd hear soon enough", Owen replied.

Mer stared back at the men.

"So what's the outcome of all this?"

"Well", Owen started, pulling himself to his full height, "Since the intern was veterinary, that means we weren't technically liable for not being there and won't feel the repercussions like being fired or some such, but it just so happens that the one who was, is-"

"My sister, Felicia", Barry finished.

 _First Claire and her job-stealing asshole, and now this._

 _Great._

* * *

 **As always, please read and review.**


	7. Chapter 7 - Punctuality

**Disclaimer: I own nothing of the masterpiece that is Jurassic World. However, Emerson and her non-previously seen coworkers and family are of my own creation.**

 **Author's Note: So yeah. There isn't really anything I want to say, so you all go ahead and enjoy the chapter. It's kinda short but I covered what I needed to transition to Emerson visiting her brother next chapter.**

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 **Reviews:**

 **Kam74 –** _I don't know why, but after reading "Oh no Felicia!", I've been saying that to my friends everytime there is a problem. Oh well, I guess. I'm glad you liked the part in control, since I had a lot of fun writing it, but I wonder if you made the connection between Mr. Masrani wanting to talk to Claire, and the guy arriving to talk to Claire about him trying to steal her job. We'll be seeing them again in a few chapters ^.^. I'm glad our PM conversation covered the stuff about how the guys hand got taken off. About the friendships – I like people getting along. I was a fan of Chris Pratt way back when he started on 'Parks & Recreation', if you've ever seen that show, and I've kinda been inspired in a way by the whole, 'The squad is a group of friends without problems. All problems come from the outside', type mentality. Other than small laughable problems, I plan on keeping everyone friends and InGen totally sucks big time. I'm glad you can be patient for the fluff, because to be honest, it's going to be awhile. I plan on setting up a really close friendship with Owen and Barry and Emerson, and then when Owen and Mer are separated from Barry during the events of the movie, that's going to be the biggest catalyst of their romantic relationship. Omg I really need to stop writing so much! This is a really long reply lol._

 **Arizeri –** _I'm glad you like her, and as to you calling the alternation distracting, I don't really think so, although I am in the process of editing it down a bit. I feel like the alternation gives me more leeway in how many times I can mention her, but those are just my thoughts. I'm always open to hearing what others have to say. If anything, I'm glad you cared enough to check. Thanks for the review!_

 **lunerusso –** _Thanks, and honestly, I'm not really basing Mer on anyone, physically meaning. When I try to create characters, I usually attempt to build them from scratch, which is why I have been looking for anyone interested in doing fanart. If there ever is someone who contacts me on PM looking to do that I can send them the full heavily detailed description. If you PM me I'd be happy to oblige you with it as well!_

 **TheTinyMouse –** _I guess, but to be honest, I'm just looking to let people enjoy a story. While I'd love to be the type of writer who can get hundreds of likes and follows, I guess that I'll just have to see where it goes. I'm glad that the story is fun for you to read and that you enjoy my writing style. I've got the whole story pretty much planned to a tee, so I can't wait to share. Thanks for dropping by!_

…and without further ado…

* * *

Chapter Seven – Punctuality

* * *

 _"Punctuality is the virtue of the bored."_

 _Evelyn Waugh_

* * *

Stepping out of the air conditioned Jeep, Emerson cocked her hip to the side, placing a hand upon the white blouse and suit jacket that she wore, and pulled her sunglasses off her face in a flourish.

"Alright Hot Shot", Owen sighed, getting out of the driver's seat, "Let's get you and that pantsuit inside."

Cringing slightly at the mocking tone he addressed her attire with, Mer turned to the brown-haired man, focusing aptly on the man's own suit.

"Like you're one to talk, Ranger Rick. I thought for sure you'd be showing off those legs of yours in a mini skirt."

As the two of them marched forward towards the Hammond Research Center and stepped through the employee-only doors, they found themselves inside of a large conference room with at least fifteen chairs circling around the massive table.

"So why did you insist we be here an hour early? This isn't the military" Owen noted, tucking his hands in his pants pockets as he surveyed the park below with an amused grin hidden from Emerson's sight.

Shaking her head, Em opened her mouth slightly.

"If you're early, you're on time. If you're on time, you're late. And if you're late, you're-"

"Dead", the Navy man finished, turning towards her as the sun filtered in through the window on in the Friday morning light.

A small upward quirk graced the corner of her mouth.

"Whatever. Claire dropped a note in at my apartment, and I think I'll follow the advice."

It'd been a full week since the accident, and some idiot on the board of directors had shortly declared that he wished to hold Paddock Four's staff accountable.

So in turn, Mer had found herself and Owen taking much more time to dress up and go to meetings in order to represent their people while Barry, who usually took over legal matters, was away on vacation with his sister for the week while helping her pack up her building and move away.

Sadly, corporate insisted they blame someone _other_ than the actual idiotic intern who'd decided to step _into_ the paddock and try to lead them in the holding blocks by hand.

Watching the smooth dark mahogany conference table reflect with shadows from outside, Emerson swiveled in her rolling chair as she beckoned Owen to sit down and spend the next fifteen minutes that they had to review their legal and moral standings.

Quite suddenly, the large wooden door sounded with telltale click of the knob being turned, revealing a group of surprised board members to stare at Owen and Emerson.

 _'An hour early. Thank you, Claire Dearing'_ , she thought, curling her fists in her lap as she continued to take in the expressions on the board members' faces.

Robotically, the board of nine made their way to the seats around the table that held their nameplates.

 _Park Operations Director_

 _Claire Dearing_

 _Chief Financial Expert_

 _Michael Indra_

 _Chief Executive Officer_

 _Andrew Stein_

 _Lawyer_

 _Logan Halsey_

 _Principal Contract Specialist_

 _Kris Leland_

 _Systems Engineer_

 _William Gallagher_

 _Public Affairs_

 _Quentin Cosen_

 _Advertising_

 _Eli Norman_

 _Lobbying_

 _Aaron Safford_

"Now although we have other paperwork to sort through afterwards, first and foremost, we have decided that you two and your staff, were not, legally speaking, at fault in the Velociraptor Attack", Mr. Halsey, InGen's lead lawyer addressed as he pushed his glasses up on his nose.

Owen and Emerson breathed out simultaneous breaths of air.

* * *

"So what exactly did you do in the Navy, Owen?" Emerson questioned leaning forward over the same Dave & Buster's booth that she, Barry, and Owen had occupied every Friday for the six weeks that she'd been present so far.

"Well", he started, loosening the tie that looped around his neck, "I worked in the Sea, Air, and Land division."

Cocking her head to the side Emerson stared thoughtfully before her eyes widened in recognition at the acronym.

"You were a Navy SEAL?"

At the short nod from her coworker cause a slight frown to appear on her mouth.

"So you're telling me that they hired a Navy SEAL to train velociraptors?"

Shaking his head, Owen let out a slight chuckle as her replied.

"You have to remember. Technically, you're the trainer, and Barry is the tamer. I'm simply a researcher. I get they figure that two killer animals could work well with each other", he grinned lightheartedly, despite his word choice.

"Me and Barry in charge? Let's be honest. We all know who holds the most power with the girls and it isn't us", she laughed.

Sitting back as they waited for their food to come, Emerson adjusted the jacket of her blouse while Owen continued his own interrogation.

"So that's enough about me, how about you? What did you do before coming here?"

"College", Mer replied halfheartedly.

"Well duh. Didn't you have any fun summer jobs though?"

"Well, for a few years I was a summer lifeguard with my best friend Amelia, but when we graduated with our Bachelor's degrees, that all pretty much ended", she sighed.

"Lifeguard, huh?" He responded with a toothy grin, "Enjoy sitting in the sun with bikinis?"

Shaking her head with raucous laughter, Em declined the statement.

"Oh no! It was only one-piece swimsuits for me. Do you have any idea how many nightmares I had about loosing my top if I had to dive off the lifeguard stand?"

As the two of them were reduced to smiles and giggles, the waitress finally arrived with the burgers that the two had ordered.

"How about you're family?" Owen asked, digging into his food.

"You first. I already answered."

"Well there's not much to tell, really. My sister is a government contractor and married with two kids, but my parents are always traveling and we don't really see them."

Nodding her head, Emerson gave her answer before Owen could inevitably prompt her.

"My two brothers are in the Marine Corps, but my little sister is a jockey for one of our neighbors. Their horse has come close to a triple crown the past few years but I'm sure that 2016 is going to be a winning year", Mer ginned broadly at her kid sister's achievements.

"What about your parents?" Owen asked, giving his full attention to the seemingly wealthy woman sitting in front of him.

 _'Her neighbors are into horse racing...? What kind of neighborhood does this rich kid live in?'_

"Well my mom trains MWD's and their handlers at Parris Island, and my dad started his own nation-wide private security firm."

 _'Nation wide? Forget rich',_ Owen thought, _'She could probably buy a small country. No wonder the girl has a different outfit for everyday, despite the fact that they're all boots, shorts, and tank-tops...'_

Schooling his outside features, Owen continued to dig into his meal as the two's conversation continually progressed.

* * *

Watching the pig blood spatter alongside Owen and Barry, whom had returned for the next week, Mer banged her head against the railing in exasperation, only raising it as she felt a large hand on her back through the sweaty vest's material.

"If it's any consolation, I still think that your clicker idea is going to work. You can't expect miracles in five weeks when they've been trained with a whistle for four years", Barry consoled.

Meanwhile, Owen had the same amount of frustration that showed as he paced the top deck.

"Wait. I have an idea", Mer called, raising her upper body in a motion that rolled her back, causing a loud and satisfying crack.

"That's really not good for you, but okay, what's the idea?" Barry asked as he adjusted his own rolled up shirt.

"So up 'til now, we've been addressing the training as a group, right?"

"Well that's because when we tried singles with Echo, she was absolutely obstinate", Owen sighed, not getting her point. "When we tried it out with Echo and then reintroduced her and her new actions to the rest of the pack, they immediately shot her down."

"Yeah", Barry called, "The girls won't take a new concept with it coming from Echo."

"Exactly", Emerson let out with a slightly celebratory squeal, "Which is why we need to have Blue teach it to them."

"Huh?" They let out unanimously.

"Well, if the girls won't take commands from one as lowly in their ranks as Echo, then who will they take them from?"

Recognition lit up the men's eyes.

"Blue."

"Precisely", she spat in an energized manner. "If we go through with one-on-one training for Blue and Owen, we can slowly integrate the commands through the Beta raptor. That way, they'll see it as an authority figure introducing the ideas."

"Brilliant, Em", Barry marveled.

"We start tomorrow, but first, we have the injections to go through since the veterinarian clinic doesn't want to be anywhere near here for the foreseeable future", Owen mumbled as he let out the whistle for his girls to move over by the holding cages.

Mer still marveled at the fact that the girls would willingly enter the cages and allow themselves and their exposed necks to be strapped in, but she simply linked it to their trust of Owen as the Alpha of their little pack.

As the three descended the steps that led down to the inner containment unit, the woman punched in the 'six-five-four-three' code to enter the area while Owen grabbed the stools from the wall and Barry ran back to grab the vet kit from the office.

"You know that was quite the idea, right?" A voice behind Emerson caught her unaware as she turned to find Owen about a foot behind her. "Really. You've done quite a bit for Barry, the girls, and I. Despite the original misgivings I had when I heard about you're arrival, you've proved every worry to be pointless, and I hope you stay here for year to come."

Rather than hugging the man, Mer held out her hand semi-awkwardly, which he thankfully shook.

As the two moved back into the transfer cage where the girls were now secured, the two of them set up the table in the back and place the chairs against the wall for further undetermined uses.

As soon as the initial set up was complete, the two people gradually gravitated towards the raptors, with Owen next to Blue as he checked her vital signs, and Emerson stroking Delta's neck.

As the tamer, Barry worked with all the raptors equally, and said that he had found a favorite in Charlie, due to her meeker personality as the Blue's seeming apprentice.

As the Alpha, Owen was amazingly close with Blue, his Beta, and he often put in extra work with her.

Yet as a trainer who'd only been in the park with girls for just over six weeks, Emerson found herself gravitating scarily quickly towards Delta.

Something about those cooing noise that she was partaking in at the moment.

Just a trusting gesture that Delta allowed herself to close her eyes as Emerson ran a hand from the corner of her mouth down her dark green neck.

 _'So trusting'_ , she mused, _'I would give anything for that kind of worldly innocence.'_

Abruptly, Emerson and Owen both stiffened as Barry sprinted out of the office building with a door slam that could be heard across the clearing, and proceeded to enter the transfer cage, locking the door behind him in a hurry as he moved immediately to the table where he started unpacking the supplies.

"What's got you in such a hurry?" Owen questioned, standing by Barry while Emerson continued to rub soothing circles of her raptors' neck.

Positioning himself against the inside cage wall while Owen faced him, Barry let out a breath.

"I'm so sorry, Owe-."

"Grady! M'boy! How's the work with the assets-in-training going!" Vic Hoskins belted out as he slammed his arms down on the metal bars from the outside clearing.

Delta let out a rough growl at the sound of his pitchy voice.

 _'Good girl.'_

"It's going, Hoskins", Owen answered shortly, handing a clipboard to Emerson and Barry individually for them to start examining the girls.

"Well helllllloooo, sweetheart. Who might you be?" Vic inquired as he looked through the bars at Mer's lower back as she crouched to inspect Delta's throat with the back of her vest riding up her torso.

Standing up and turning to the older man, the woman ground out her reply.

"Emerson Langley. Velociraptor trainer."

"Ah. Well I see you boys got yourselves some cat over here. I'll have to come and visit a bit more", he grinned lewdly, causing Emerson to tighten her hold on the clipboard.

"Hoskins-" Owen started, trying to object to the man's behavior.

"Silent too. I guess you know the quickest way to a man's heart", Hoskins continued. "Oh well. I got the papers I needed from Barny here, so I'll be off."

As the man turned away and walked off, Emerson tightened her grip on the spiderweb crack that had somehow appeared on her plastic clipboard.

"Some men may think that silence is the quickest way to their hearts but I know that the best way to yours is a sharp object between the third and fourth ribs on the right side of your chest", Emerson muttered darkly as the figure retreated.

Barry didn't even bother whining about Hoskins' need to mess his name up every time they came in contact.

He and Owen were too busy staring at Emerson as she gave the girls their injections.

* * *

 _As always, please read and review._


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